Woman accused of attacking family with stun gun

Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins visits the Cracker Barrel on N Belair Rd. often. He was there this morning with his wife when he suddenly heard commotion.

"I heard an arching sound and it sounds like an electrical short and then people started screaming and running to the exit door of the restaurant," Collins said.

This was no electrical problem, however. Police say a woman named Iyana Herbert was holding a crowbar and stun gun in the restaurant and chased her relatives out the door.

"I followed the crowd outside, my wife and I and there was a lady in the parking lot that had a stun gun and a tire iron and she was threatening to use it on some family members," Collins continued.

Herbert, 23, lost custody of her 2-year-old daughter earlier Thursday morning to her family, police said. She then followed them to the Cracker Barrel, crashed her car into their car and confronted them with the weapons.

Police say Betty Harrison, a relative of Herbert, wrestled the crowbar away but Herbert continued to use the stun-gun.

Collins acted as a mediator until the police arrived.

"I tried to separate, which I did for a while, until another family member added some more comments and it started again in the parking lot," Collins said.

Harrison was taken to the hospital for minor injuries and Herbert, taken into police custody and charged with aggravated assault.